Means for supporting and bracing yard-arms for arc-lamps, &amp;c.



No. 636,327. I

Patenfed Nov. 7, I899. J. R. FLETCHER.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND BRAGING YARD ARMS FOR ARC LAMPS, 8w. 7

(No Model.)

(Apialication filed May 20, 1399.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. FLETCHER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND BRACING YARD-ARMS FOR- ARC-LAMPS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 636,327, dated November '7, 1899.

Application filed May 20,1899. Serial No. 717,541. (No model.) a i To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, inthe county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Supporting and Bracing Yard-Arms for Arc-Lamps, &c.; and I do hereby declare. that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improved means for supporting a yard-arm to a post, whereby said arm is maintained in a proper horizontal position under a load suspended from the outer end thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide means for connecting the said arm to the post at a central point in order that the strain or tension due to bracing it may be borne by the post and the-said arm thereby maintained in a proper horizontal position to support a load suspended from its extreme outer end I such, for example, as an arc-lamp for electric lighting. 7

The essential features of the invention consist in constructing the arm in two sections which are. attachedor mounted on the pole by means of specially-designed brackets and the inner ends of the said sections being on opposite sides of the post in line with each other,so that when the said sections are braced in position they practically form one continuous arm, the post serving to withstand, practically, all the strain on the arm due to the weight of the load and the bracing of said arm.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper end of a post, showing the yard-arm, brace-rods, &c.; Fig. 2, an enlarged view of one of the brackets and spanner; Fig. 3, a sectional view of said bracket and spanner on the line as m of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5, enlarged front and side views of the bracket for the long section of the arm 3 Fig. 6, a top view of one of the latter brackets, showing the curvature of the side that embraces the post. Fig. 7, an elevation of a portion of a metallic post, showing the manner of attaching the brackets thereto.

The invention is especially intended for supporting arc-lamps for electric lighting, but may be applied to other uses. The yard-arm, from which the arc-lamp 3 is suspended, consists of a long and short section 1 and 2, of-

tube-iron, such as gas-pipe, and serves to support the suspended load from its outer end. The long section supports the said load, while the short section enables a proper connection of a series of brace-rods, by means of which the two sections are rigidly secured to the post 4. The bracket for the long section of the arm consists of a curved plate 5, which embraces the post on one side and has two outwardly-projected sides 6 6, which provide a housing and support for a sheave 7, which engages the lamp-rope S. Projecting outwardly in a horizontal line from the upper end of said bracket and forming the top of the sheave-housing is a socket portion 9, in which the inner end of section 1 is supported and made secure by the top piece 10, which is secured to the top of the bracket. The bracket 11, which supports the short section 2 of the arm, is substantially the same in length as bracket 5, and the part that embraces the other side of the post is of the same curvature. A similar socket 12 is also formed on the upper horizontal part of said bracket, in which the inner end of the short section 2 of the arm is supported. The upper part 13, forming the top half of the socket-piece, is in-v tegral with the spreader or brace supporting arms 14 14, cross-arms 15 15, and with the insulator-sockets 16 16. This is an essential and important feature of the invention, as by casting these several supporting-arms let and 15 integral with the upper part of the bracket the said parts are always'in the proper position when the bracket is attached. The brackets may be attached after the post has been placed in position with an assurance that the arms 14. and 15 will be in the proper relative positions. The post, as shown in Fig. 1, is of wood, and the brackets are attached, 'by means of nails or screws, directly thereto. In thecase of a metal post, as shown in Fig. 7, the brackets are made with flanges 17, projecting from each side, and are clamped around the post by screw-bolts 18, which pass through holes in said flanges. The upper brace-rods 19 19 are attached to a pipe end 20 at the end of the long section of the arm, pass over a spanner 21, mounted or supported on said long section at a central point, and connect with turnbuckles 22 22. Connected also with said turnbuckles are brace-rods 23 23, which pass over spanner or arms 14 14 and connect with a pipe end 24 on the outer end of the short section 2 of the arm. The said short section 2 is braced to the pole by bracerods 25 25, which also connect with the pipe end 24. WVhen properly tightened by the manipulation of the turnbuckles, the two sections 1 and 2 of the arm become rigidly braced against the center of the post and are maintained in a proper horizontal position, the post being the main point to withstand all the strain exerted on the arm due to bracing said arm and the weight of the suspended load.

Having fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with a post, of brackets mounted on opposite sides thereof, an arm consisting of two sections supported on said brackets with their inner ends in contact with opposite sides of said post, brace-rods connected to one of said sections and to the post at a point below said brackets, adjustable brace-rods connecting the outer ends of the arm and independent of the post, and a spanner to support said adjustable brace-rods at an intervening point, whereby suitable tension may be applied to said adjustable bracerods to rigidly bind the inner ends of the arm against opposite sides of the post.

2. The combination with a post, of an arm consisting of two sections, the inner ends of said sections being in contact with opposite sides of the post, brackets upon which said inner ends are supported, brace-rods connected to one of said sections and to the post, adjustable brace-rods connecting the two sections of the arm, and means for supporting said adjustable brace-rods independently of the post, whereby tension may be applied thereto to tighten the sections of the arm in rigid contact with the post.

3. The combination with a post, of an arm consisting of sections, to wit: a long section and a short section, the inner ends of each section abutting on opposite sides of the post, brackets upon which said sections are supported, a spanner projected from one of said brackets, upper brace-rods connected to the ends of said sections of said arm and supported on said spanner, adjusting means connected to said upper brace-rods, and lower brace-rods connected to the post and to the end of the short section of the arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JNO. R. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, C. NOE. 

